A West Texas town rocked by a drug scandal. Authorities say that 24 Fort Stockton residents have been arrested in connection with a cocaine distribution operation. The U-S Attorney's Office says the group's alleged ringleader, 33-year-old Noe Torres Ortega, also known as "Prieto," was among those in custody. A judge has now unsealed a 27-count indictment the defendants were charged with in May. The charges include conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, distribution of a controlled substance in a school/playground zone, using a phone in a felony drug offense and maintaining drug-involved premises. The twenty-four Fort Stockton-area defendants range in age from 22 to 65. If convicted of drug conspiracy, each faces between 10 years and life in federal prison.
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